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The Design Excellence Mandate
2 . 0 G S A's Public Buildings Service
Builder for the federal civilian government and steward of many examples of outstanding
public architecture, the U.S. General Services Administration is establishing a reputation
as a world-class real estate development and management organization. Under the
auspices of its Public Buildings Service, GSA owns over 1,600 properties and leases more
than 6,400 buildings and spaces. Ongoing projects re p resent billion of work including
new construction, major re n ovations, preservation, and adaptive re-use. GSA manages
414 historic buildings, 33 of which are national historic landmarks, and has an inventory
of 336 million square feet, the workspace for 1.1 million federal employe e s .
2 . 1 Design Excellence Objectives
In meeting the challenges associated with the stewardship of these resources, GSA's
performance standard is Design Excellence--buildings that express the vision, leader
ship, and commitment of the government to serving the public and the values of the
nation. More specifically, Design Excellence in the Public Buildings Service means:
Providing best value to our customer agencies and the American taxpaye r.
D e veloping safe, productive, and attractive workplaces.
Operating efficiently and effectively--keeping projects on time and on budget.
Ensuring that projects respond positively to national urban and environmental policies.
Selecting America's best designers and artists to create facilities that ultimately become
respected landmarks.
The PBS approach is holistic, incorporating expertise in many areas--architecture, urban
design, landscape architecture, interior design, art, engineering, construction, security,
sustainability, and workplace design. Design Excellence is about using this expertise
to deliver projects that are exceptional--models others seek to emulate. In this effort,
Design Excellence is neither veneer nor luxury. It is an integral feature of the GSA culture
and how the Public Buildings Service addresses its work.
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sections 2.02.1
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